Surely, one of the favourites for people who dine out in Peking restaurants. It is not too difficult to prepare and cook at home -
the secret is to make sure that the skin of the duck is absolutely dry before cooking. Remember the drier the skin, the crispier the duck.

1. Clean the duck well, remove the wings and any feather stubs as well as the lumps of fat from inside the vent.
2. Plunge the duck into a large pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes to seal the pores - this will make the skin airtight,
thus preventing fat from escaping during cooking.
3. Remove from the pot, drain and thoroughly pat dry the skin and cavity with a clean towel or absorbent paper.
4. While the skin is still warm, brush the duck all over with maltose or honey and water solution, then hang it up in a cool
and airy place for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. A fan heater or a hairdrier can also be used to speed up the drying if neccesary.
5. Place the duck breast side up, on a rack in a roasting tin, and cook in a pre-heated oven (200C/400F/Gas6) for 1hr 30min - 1hr 45min, without basting or turning.
6. Meanwhile, make the pancakes (see recipe), prepare the duck sauce by blending the sugar, sesame oil and the sauce over a heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring until smooth.
Pour into a serving bowl. Cut the cucumber and spring onions into thin strips the size of matchsticks. Arrange them on separate serving dishes.
7. To serve: peel off the crispy duck skin in small slices by using a sharp knife, then the juicy meat is carved in thin strips.
Arrange the skin and meat on separate serving plates.
8. To eat: Open a pancake on the plate, spread 1 tsp of sauce in the middle, add a few strips of cucumber and spring onions, then top with 2-3 strips of duck skin and meat. Roll up
the pancakes, turn up the bottom edge to prevent the contents from falling out.